Turbocharged and/or supercharged engine systems typically include a compressor and an air cooler upstream of one or more combustion chambers of an engine. Often, the combustion air comprises a mixture of ambient air and recirculated exhaust gas in an attempt to reduce undesirable emissions produced during combustion. Recirculated exhaust gas often includes considerable amounts of water vapor and, in relatively cold environments, the temperature of the combustion air may be lowered below the dew point of the combustion air resulting in condensation developing within the air cooler. Under relatively high engine load conditions, e.g., at high torque, an air flow rate of the combustion air may be sufficient to purge the condensation from the air cooler. Under relatively low engine load conditions, e.g., at idle, the air flow rate of the combustion air may be insufficient to purge the condensation and, as such, an amount of liquid may accumulate within the air cooler. Accumulated liquid may be subsequently purged from the air cooler at increased engine load conditions, however, rapid engine increases may deliver a substantial amount of liquid toward the engine which may undesirably affect engine and/or air cooler durability and/or performance. Additionally, accumulated liquid may remain within the air cooler and may freeze causing mechanical damage to one or more components of the air cooler. Furthermore, the accumulated liquid within the air cooler may be aerated potentially causing physically sensed liquid levels to be inaccurate and/or difficult to determine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,887 (“the '887 patent”) issued to Gorel et al. discloses a low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system. The system of the '887 patent includes an intercooler receiving compressed combustion air from a compressor and delivering cooled combustion air to combustion chambers of an engine. The combustion air includes a mixture of filtered ambient air and recirculated exhaust gas. The intercooler of the '887 patent includes a reservoir that removes condensed water formed within the intercooler from the combustion air stream directed toward the combustion chambers. The reservoir of the '887 patent includes a drain that removes water collected within the reservoir when a sensed pressure of the condensed water is positive.
Although the method of the '887 patent may remove accumulated liquid from an air cooler, it requires a reservoir to collect the liquid and a drain to remove the liquid from the reservoir. Because the liquid may be acidic, the reservoir and drain are either anti-corrosive or susceptible to deterioration. Although, the system of the '887 patent may sense a pressure of liquid within the reservoir, it may not determine the amount of liquid therein. Because the system of the '887 patent may not reduce the amount of recirculated exhaust gas, the amount of liquid formed within the intercooler may not be reduced and acidic water may be undesirably drained to an environment.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the shortcomings set forth above.